


Wicked Words

by SquishSquirmies



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst and Humor, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24224494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SquishSquirmies/pseuds/SquishSquirmies
Summary: Amidst confusion and increasingly devastating earthquakes, Link finds himself thrown into danger once more, but this time the adventure at hand isn't nearly as daunting as the company he picks up along the way. GhiraLink. In-progress.
Relationships: Ghirahim/Link (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 36





	1. Happily Ever After

Link's stormy blue eyes watched the figure across from him carefully, sword raised in their direction. Steel met steel with a light clang, nothing more than a tap to test his defenses. He knew that these little love taps would not last long though. As if his opponent could read his mind, they launched a quick slash at his legs, which he blocked with ease. He scrambled to block the strike at his head that followed without missing a beat; they had a particular fondness for getting his arms moving as of late. Their fights had resembled the most energetic of dances lately, zealous and crackling with energy. He certainly wouldn't be dozing off during this match. He kept his sword stuck out in front of him, as his opponent's rapier pushed against either side of it before grazing down his blade. He could feel the pressure in their movements increasing steadily and knew that their dance had begun with an ever quickening pace. His opponent swung three sudden slashes his way in an attempt to knock his sword from his hands; he held his sword tight and swayed away in a crescent path, allowing his adversary to swing to their heart's content. He was not going to drop his weapon so easily. They continued waltzing in long circles around an arena of downtrodden grass, swords raised towards each other, meeting in short and sprightly bursts.

"I'm starting to think you've lost your edge!" Two more taps. His opponent followed with a slash to his feet and a jab that nearly brushed his tunic. He ducked away and regained his composure. 'What a chatterbox,' Link thought to himself, twirling his sword in his hand.

"It's a good thing we ended up here today. Finally beating you is really going to brighten up my week! I mean, you'll never hear the end of it- that is, if you live to tell the tale," they taunted, voice low, lips turning up into a devious smile. He gasped in fake offense, bringing his shield hand up to cover his mouth. Thinking his adversary was getting a bit too big for their britches, he sent two sharp swings their way. They blocked his advances, and in return they boldly stretched out their rapier in his direction, advancing towards him rather quickly. He slapped the side of his sword against the other blade, knocking it away only for it to train back in on him. His opponent swung, and he blocked it. They swung again. This time when he blocked the rapier, they did not relent and pushed his sword back, locking the two of them together as the blades scraped against one another. His opponent looked into his eyes and murmured, "It will be nice to finally win; you know I've worked for it."

"That's a shame, because I'm not going to let you win," Link chuckled, pushing back enough to break the standstill without opening his guard. His opponent took a couple steps back before launching back at him full force. The clanging discord of blades biting against each other echoed across the open field like a broken song. This swordfight was reaching its crescendo, but just like every match they had before this, speed would be his opponent's downfall. All it took was a second, he eyed an opening in their defense where they had dropped their rapier down a bit too far and leaned into the thrust a bit too much. With a quick slash he tore the fabric on their shoulder, and as quickly as it began, their fiery duel was over. He watched as the rapier fell into the dirt at their feet.

"Oh, no! Look what you've done, Link," they whined loudly, pouting and thumbing the ripped dress' sleeve.

"Come on, Zelda. You had it coming," he laughed, "Besides, it makes us even for you destroying my favorite shirt last week."

"Hey! If I had known you were standing there, I would not have turned around so quickly," she retorted defensively, tilting her head to the side, "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that… for a vast number of reasons."

Picking up her rapier, Link flipped the blade into his hand and extended the hilt back towards her. She took it gingerly and slipped it into a loop in her gold belt. He had been training out in Faron woods with Zelda for the last couple months. Originally, he had offered to teach her archery, but she was insistent on learning how to swordfight like he could. She even had Gondo make her a custom white rapier. To be honest, he was a bit envious. He had been using a simple academy sword for the last couple years, and it just didn't seem to fit in his hand right. Zelda had urged him to also get a custom sword made, but he had a sinking feeling that nothing would fit quite like the master sword had. Not to say that hers wasn't a beautifully made sword; the blade was slim and lightweight with metal tendrils that curved along the hilt, all meeting at a gemstone that was so blue it looked as if the sky could have been trapped within it. It had a certain elegance that suited her, and with each day she seemed to get more accustomed to wielding it. He was proud of her; it had only taken her a week or so to move on from the training dummies that stuck out on the outskirts of the field to proper sparring. Nevertheless, they couldn't spend all day out in a field trying to tear each other's clothes to shreds.

Link gestured towards the dirt road away from the clearing they had been sparring in. It was about time they got back to town. "And those reasons would be?"

"Well, if my hands were free, I might have socked that smug look right off your face." She laughed, a light red tint spreading across her cheeks. "Or maybe I would have just jumped out of my skin and shrieked. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"No, I suppose I wouldn't," he said, kicking at a stray acorn on the ground. It bounced down the path before toppling over a small hill out of his vision. "You can sew that dress back up, though. My shirt is permanently pink now; I tried washing that dye out of it about seven times, each more vigorous and desperate than the last."

Zelda gave him an apologetic smile, "You might have a point there. You could still look good in it though, have you even tried it on?"

Link answered her with a grunt of disbelief. He was not traipsing around town in a bright pink shirt; he didn't need any more attention than he already got. Speaking of, he could see maple rooftops cresting above the lush green hills. 'Almost there,' he thought to himself, an unpleasant feeling shuffling about in his chest. A year or so ago, they had decided to launch construction on a small town on the Surface right in the center of Faron woods. It was safe, for the most part, and knights patrolled the more open areas of the forest in alternating shifts just in case any monsters beyond the average man-eating plant ever popped up. Their home back in Skyloft just didn't seem to be big enough for their growing population, and they had fought for this land. He had fought for this land. It didn't make sense to just abandon it and stay locked up in the sky forever, or at least that's what he told himself. Truth be told, he had very mixed feelings about building a permanent settlement here, especially after more recent events.

Link looked down at the dirt path wearily, as if a mere thought would compel the ground to shake and heave as it had been for the last year. At first the tremors were small, no more than a shudder. However, as the months passed and their town grew larger, so did the earthquakes. He had occasionally wondered if it was a sign that they should stay in the sky. The increasing intensity of the tremors were becoming harder and harder to ignore or write off as a typical characteristic of the surface- not that he had ever felt quakes like these when he had first come down here. Well, that wasn't quite true. He had encountered earthquakes a handful of times in this very region, but they had only been in the sealed grounds when the Imprisoned threatened to rip through the ground and consume everyone and everything in its path. An unpleasant feeling settled in the bottom of his stomach; it was a tense, writhing feeling, as if he had swallowed a bed of worms.

"Hey, Link!" He was jarred from his thoughts as Zelda tugged at his arm in excitement. "They've almost got the new hall finished!"

Link looked up from her face to the center of their little town. There were about a dozen truly finished houses, and right smack dab in the center square was this hall and a set of four untouched foundations surrounding it. He gave her a confused look; they had very different ideas on how close to finished that hall was. The foundation was done and all of the framing was up, but it didn't even have walls. He crossed his arms and nodded his head. "Oh yeah, I say we should start conducting business right now. We can sit in a little circle on the floor and give a toast to another successful project."

"I don't need your sass, you knucklehead," she exclaimed, giving him a faux glare. "You know what I mean. I've been waiting on this building for a while now, and it's so close I can almost taste it!"

"You're going to get splinters in your tongue, licking that building," he teased, as they stopped in front of the town hall to-be.

"Shut up," she retorted, "I think you're more excited for that place than you let on. I mean, once it's done we can host meetings. Once we host town meetings, we can get festivals and celebrations up and running down here. Can't you imagine it? The whole forest alight with lanterns and dancing and music and, and…"

She trailed off, looking around at the town and the lush forest that surrounded it. "Everything will finally be back to normal again."

A deep frown etched itself into Link's features as that tense feeling in his stomach magnified about tenfold. When he looked over, he saw his expression mirrored by his friend. They both knew that their lives would never be normal as they had been before. All he had to do was spare a passing glance around to support that notion. As other, typically younger Skyloftians that had taken residence on the surface passed by, they stared- some even pointed! Perhaps it was his own fault for spending so much time away from the town and the sky. He was making a myth of himself. Surely Zelda noticed it too, not that he had ever asked her. Much to his chagrin, she seemed to handle the changes a lot better than he did, sometimes even jumping right into them. He wished he could just move on like she could, heal like she was, but something within him always seems to trip up or hang back. He shook his head, as if he could shake loose these troubling thoughts like cobwebs on an old book.

"I don't know if we're ever going to get there," he said in a serious tone, before a grin split across his face, "Especially if you keep dying all my clothes pink."

That won him a smile. He had hoped a joke would clear the tension, but the air still felt heavy and uncomfortable. This was only exacerbated by a group of young adults his age walking by them, looking over and speaking in hushed tones. His eyes bore holes in their backs as they walked away.

"Yeah, you're right." She agreed absentmindedly, watching him scowl at the group passing by. "You know they all look up to you, right?"

"I don't want their reverence or their incredulous stares," he spoke softly, but his exasperation rang clear. A silence fell over them again. He looked over at Zelda; she was staring at him too now. " _What_?"

"I just wish you would tell me what's going on in that head of yours," she said, her eyes trying to catch his, but he was busy looking anywhere else.

"It's nothing." He reached up to scratch the back of his neck. "I just don't like being ogled at every time I pass through town."

"It's nothing more than that?" She murmured, gently placing a hand on his arm and stepping into his line of sight.

Link felt a short rush of panic; for a moment he felt as if she could see right through him. Rationally, he knew that he should let her know what he was thinking, but a voice in the back of his head screamed against it. Much like when they were sparring earlier, he wouldn't, or rather it seemed that he couldn't, let his guard down. Not to her, no, she just wouldn't understand, or worse she would beat herself up knowing all he sacrificed on his journey to save her. So, instead he opted to shift the conversation off of him, anything to escape the vacuum this conversation had created around them.

"Of course not! You know, it's probably just pent up nerves that have got me all tense." He offered her a reassuring smile. "I think I might head back to the clearing and work some more training in. I have this killer new move I'm working on. Once I've got it down, you won't have a chance at besting me."

"Training again, huh?" She remarked, a slight frown settling onto her face. "It seems like you're out there all the time. I mean we were sparring for over an hour. Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?"

"It was barely an hour. You've been improving so much too; I've got to put in some extra hours to make sure I stay ahead of you, or you mi-" He stopped mid-sentence, as something caught his eye just past the tree line. A reflection of sunlight blinked from the woods for a mere second, and it was gone. He continued to look out into the sea of green, but nothing else stood out to him. A chill ran down his spine, and he became aware of his heart pounding away in his chest like a frantic knock. He was imagining things; there was nothing out there.

"Hey, are you okay, Link?" Zelda furrowed her brow, gazing at him with concern. Suddenly, he was hyper aware of how exposed they were standing in the middle of the unfinished sector of the town, and he swore that he could feel eyes on him, crawling over him like insects.

"Of course I'm okay!" He remarked, sure that his answer was far too hurried and far too loud for anyone to have believed him. Zelda just frowned, and he despised the pity he saw lurking in those soft blue eyes. He gave her a scolding look and mumbled, "Don't give me that face."

"I know, I know." She said quietly, looking away for a moment before coming back to him. "Just, don't push me away, okay?"

He simply nodded, though he wondered if his eyes gave him away. Traitorous blue orbs flicking away with guilt would only cement the thought that perhaps he had already pushed her away.

"Alright, have fun out in the training fields." She spoke more cheerfully, but he could hear the slightest strain in her voice. "Don't push yourself too hard, and remember to drink lots of water. It's been really hot out lately, and the last thing you need is to pass out in the middle of the woods from dehydration."

"Yes, yes lots of water," Link agreed with an exaggerated nod, walking backwards on the path that led towards the clearing. He didn't love it when she treated him like an empty-headed child, but he didn't feel like dragging this conversation out anymore. He was really itching to get out of there.

Link waved to his friend as he set off back the way that they had walked in. His pace was brisk, and the very second the town was out of his field of view, he broke out into a wild sprint. He wasn't entirely sure what compelled him to run as if the pits of hell itself were opening at his heels, but it felt substantially better than standing in town. He knew that eventually he had to stop running. The first time that thought crossed his mind, it was like oil on an open flame; he pushed himself to sprint even farther, even faster. That lasted for about a half a minute before he found himself doubled over, leaning on the enormous trunk of the great tree. His breath escaped him in short bursts, tearing its way out of his lungs. He might have overshot the training field by a _little_ bit. His eyes flicked around nervously, taking in his surroundings. The forest was calm and quiet today, but he still felt on edge. He wondered if he should keep running to get the rest of that negative energy out or if he should just double back.

Before Link could make a decision a cacophony of sharp, annoying cries pierced the air. His back stiffened and body tensed, his arm rising to draw his sword. Normally, he would ignore monsters hanging about in the woods, but this commotion was rather loud. Link slowly crept through the thicket, peering through the tree line for the screeching monsters. Minutes past, and he found himself walking up the sleek white stone of the viewing platform wondering if he had lost them. Again he heard the cackling screams of the monsters. They were further into the forest. If he wanted to find them, he would have to traverse the short cliff side ahead and enter the deep woods. His stomach twisted nervously. He made a point to avoid the deep woods and all that it harbored. It's not that he was afraid of the woods, no. It was just a waste of his time to travel so far out when the town really only needed protection from monsters in the immediate vicinity. He certainly wasn't afraid of what he might find out in the woods, nothing like that at all.

As Link stepped cautiously into the wide expanse of trees, he spotted a glimpse of red. He snorted with contempt. Bokoblins. They were nasty creatures, stupid too. He was slinking along the edge of the woods when he was shocked by just how many there were in this group. Typically, he only ran into groups of five or fewer in this forest. He could spot at least ten of them from behind the cover of the forest. Perhaps the battle cries attracted more of them? Or maybe they had accumulated in the deep woods over the years and he just never noticed. Studying them closer, Link didn't see anything they could have been attacking nearby, so it must have been the latter. Regardless, he figured he should dispatch this group; it would keep them away from the town, and he would get a nice workout in. It was a win-win.

Link charged up to the group of Bokoblins, plunging his sword into the back of the nearest monster. It fell with a deafening screech. Undeterred and not willing to waste a moment, he faced the monster to his right, launching a spin attack its way that sending it flopping onto the ground. He looked over to find the group's shock had worn off, and now they were all trained in on him. The creatures called to each other in short cackles, trying to close in on him. He kept a steady pace backwards, slashing at any Bokoblin senseless enough to get close to him. The beasts would try to block him, but he knew their style. Link found himself faking them out and dispatching the majority of them with ease. The grass below him was slick with monster blood, and hollow ornamental skulls littered the ground. 'Three left,' he thought to himself, eyeing down the remaining enemies. He paused, expecting them to run at him, but this group seemed uncharacteristically wiser than that. There was one Bokoblin, a bit taller than the other two, standing in front with the others at its heels. If they wanted to wait for him to make a move, that was fine. It would make his job faster. He swiftly closed the distance between them, and feigned to the right before throwing a vertical slash at the largest of the Bokoblins. It blocked his strike without even attempting the first. He glared at the beast. If looks could kill, his job here would have been done in that very moment. He swung again, harder this time; his blade met the metal of the monster's cleaver, but this time he was ready.

"I don't think so," he growled, grabbing the meaty, red arm of the Bokoblin. He pulled himself around the monster's side, out of the range of its other hand, and swung his sword out in a wide-sweeping, horizontal motion. The creature's head toppled off its shoulders, bouncing against the forest floor before it exploded in a mass of purple smoke. He swung around to face the final two Bokoblins, but he was instead met with their cowardly feet fleeing into the woods.

"That's right! Run away," Link shouted, holding his head up high. He was not about to chase them through this forest. If they were keen on running, he doubted they would be back. He turned to march back to the training field, feeling nothing short of victorious, only to have his foot slip in the now wet grass and bring him onto the ground. He flew back up to his feet, nearly sliding back down a second time. His nose curled, as he looked down at his tunic now stained with foul, red Bokoblin blood. There was something else though, something that distracted him from the pitiful state of this clothes. He hadn't noticed before, but closer to the entrance to the deep woods there were black stains on the grass. Link turned, making his way over to the blackened blades of grass. It almost looked like dried blood. Maybe those monsters had been attacking something, or someone, after all. There was a trail leading along the outskirts of the forest and then dipping back into the trees. He stepped carefully alongside the increasingly smaller stains and downtrodden ferns. The forest path this way had been completely destroyed; a fallen tree along the path was crushed to smithereens. As he passed over it, he saw that the trunk had a trace of that black liquid on it too. Whatever had been running through the forest, it was big and wounded, likely angry. Unfortunately, the tracks seemed to end rather abruptly. Link swiveled his head in either direction, but there was nothing around. He could only imagine whatever it was either disappeared into thin air or doubled back somewhere along this path. Either way, this was shaping up to be a wild goose chase that Link wasn't all that interested in pursuing. That writhing feeling had returned, and he was getting tired. Turning back, a large swath of red caught his eye. He skulked closer, keeping his head low.

"Oh, it was just you," Link whispered under his breath, as he watched a Moblin hulking about in the clearing, twisting its head around and peering into the woods. He pulled his sword from his back as quietly as possible and unhinged his shield as well. This monster would not go down quite as easily as the others, but if he could get at it before it had a chance to realize he was there, he might be able to cut it to ribbons without resistance. With a startling cry, he ran at the monster, hoping to catch it off guard. He swung at the beast, but it blocked him with its thick wooden shield. It was as if it was expecting him to come running at it. He would have been irritated, but his anger was interrupted by surprise; this monster didn't have a scratch on it. He didn't have time to really look it over though. He would have to get it to let down its guard, or it was going to run him through. It wasn't a difficult task, but he had to stay focused nonetheless.

The beast roared at him, striking at him with its enormous spear. Link thrust his shield at the incoming weapon, pushing the Moblin off of its feet. It flailed its arms in an attempt to regain its balance, but this would be in vain. Link took his sword in both hands and rushed forward to fell the beast. However, just as he closed in on the monster the ground heaved. Link toppled to the side, his foot twisting on the way down. Sharp spines of pain shot up his leg. The earth beneath him provided no stability as it lurched and rumbled without relent. The quake didn't last long; it could not have been more than twenty seconds. Thankfully, it caught the Moblin off guard as well; it had plunged its spear into the ground to maintain its balance. The dull beast looked around, growling. Did it think some other entity was shaking the ground out like a dirty rug? At least the brute was distracted. Just as the earthquake was starting to die down, he lunged forward, slashing at the hulking monster. His blade bit into the thick red flesh and within moments the creature let out one prolonged roar as it imploded into a dark cloud.

Link swatted at the hideous gas. He had no intentions of staining his tunic any further today, and he was unsure if that smog-like cloud would even wash out. Looking down he noticed the Bokoblin blood that had splattered across his tunic earlier had turned a dark brown, rust-like color. At this point he was unsure of what was in the grass over at the mouth of the clearing, but he really didn't have time to look it over again. He had to get back to town and make sure everyone was still in one piece. Casting a fleeting glance back at the scene, he left, running- as best as he could on an injured leg- out of the deep woods and leaving the strange inky blotches behind.


	2. Memories

Link tried to keep up a quick pace as he entered the town. His gait was a mix between a limp and a light jog. He figured he must have a sprain if not worse, as his right ankle shot waves of pain up his leg like thunderclaps every time he stepped on it. He knew he couldn’t stop until he was sure that everyone was okay though; this was no time to coddle himself by pausing to check his ankle when he was sure that it was a small injury. He had suffered far worse before, and those wounds had not stopped him then. He grit his teeth and hobbled on.

Clouds of dust billowed up from the ground, tickling his throat; something must have fallen. A heavy cough wracked his body as he passed by the first set of houses. Link picked up the pace, worry gnawing at his mind like a dog with a bone. He passed by sets of people all huddled together in disbelief, chattering about the quake in worried tones. He glanced over each group, but everyone appeared to be unharmed. There was a large crowd all joined together at the center square, the very place he had been standing with Zelda earlier that day. Worry rapidly descended into panic. Among the crowd near the center square, he saw a familiar face.

“Hey! Hey, Fledge!” He called to his friend, waving him down, “What happened? Where’s Zelda? Is anyone hurt?”

“Easy, Link. Calm down,” Fledge responded, jolting backwards; he was clearly taken aback by the plethora of questions slung at him without warning. Taking a breath, he motioned for Link to follow him, weaving his way through the crowd. Once the blond caught up with him, he spoke again, “No one was hurt, but…”

Fledge trailed off, but he didn’t have to finish his sentence. Link could see what had attracted the crowd. The framework of their new hall had fallen to the ground; the earthquake had completely dismantled it. Near the front of the building stood Zelda, staring up where the frame of the hall had been just hours before. He approached her slowly, gingerly placing a hand on her arm. He wanted to tell her that it was a minor setback, that they would simply rebuild the framework, but who was to say another earthquake wouldn’t knock it to the ground once more? He was also keenly aware that her sadness extended further than this building; it was what she considered their door back to normalcy, and it just fell to the ground in a heap of splintered wood. “I’m sorry.”

Zelda was silent for a long while, simply reaching up to put her hand over his own. When she did finally speak, he had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t referring to the fallen hall. “We can’t ignore this anymore, can we?”

“We should probably start reinforcing the homes we have already built and put the new hall on hold until the quakes die down,” he spoke slowly, cautiously as to avoid pushing her fragile state any further. The last thing he wanted to do was edge her towards a breakdown. Fledge had been standing a couple feet away, giving them space, but now stepped closer to join the conversation.

“If we were to repair any cracks in foundations and add structure to the current walls of the houses, we could keep the earthquakes from ruining any of our current progress. I’m uh, not sure how long that would last though, and it will be resource heavy,” Fledge offered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

She glanced at the both of them out of the corner of her eye, contemplating some notion that they were not privy to; Link avoided her gaze, opting to look at the ground instead. She sighed and turned to face the two knights fully. “You’re right. We will start adding reinforcements to the town houses immediately starting with the older buildings. Even if it isn’t a long term solution, it will buy us time to look into the origin of these quakes.” She paused, before taking a deep breath and releasing his hand. “Unfortunately, I find it hard to believe that these earthquakes will die down; they’re only getting worse, Link. We have to do something about them before our entire town is leveled.”

“You… want to fight the ground?” he said, foolishly. He knew better; they both did, but he didn’t want to acknowledge the implications of the fierce earthquakes that were shaking this land as of late.

Zelda only hummed in response, her mind elsewhere, and he wondered if she had even heard him. Her gaze had shifted to the forest encircling their little town. “It could be a monster, a very, very big monster clawing at the earth. That could cause a bit of a tremor, couldn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” he said, voice trailing off, as he watched the woods with her. “I think it might be time to consider going home, Zelda. This land could just be unstable, unfit for living, and if that’s the case, we’re putting our lives in danger without reason.”

“We could send patrols out on their loftwings. They would be safe, and when they find the cause of the earthquakes, we will know what we are up against,” she stated, before regarding him with a calm certainty that he was hardly used to. “We are not leaving.”

“I’ll, um, I’ll go tell all the knights to get together,” Fledge stammered, backing away towards the nearest landing platform, his eyes darting between the two of them. “We can start patrols right away!”

Link watched Fledge run off before training his attention back on Zelda. It was moments like these that made him wonder if he was really talking to his best friend or the goddess that lay dormant within her. Link knew that he had a good point, even if she was determined to stay here on the surface. Her plan too was a good one, but what if the other knights found nothing? They would all eventually be forced back into the sky. A more pressing thought tugged at his mind. What if they found more than they bargained for? He shook his head, but these thoughts stayed with him like a bear trap closing in on his mind, cold and unyielding. A deep, rumbling voice echoed in this head, ‘ _This is not the end. My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again!_ ’ He heard thunder in the distance, but the sky was clear; no, this was all in his head! He had killed Demise. His quest was over. His torment was over. These earthquakes were nothing but a string of natural disasters. He dared to meet Zelda’s eyes; they were a mirror. He saw his fear reflected back at him. However, that fear was replaced quickly by Zelda rapidly blinking in shock.

“What happened to you?” she exclaimed, just now noticing his bloodstained tunic. She then reeled back, bringing her hand up to cover her face. “Oh goddesses, you smell awful.”

“Bokoblins, a whole pack of them were starting a commotion in the woods, but I took care of it,” he responded, shooing her hands away as she poked at him, searching for any cuts or injuries. She seemed intent on looking him over despite his protests. “I’m fine, Zelda. They didn’t even know what hit them.”

“Hmph, I’m sure they were no match for you,” she said, pride edging into her voice. “What’s wrong with your foot?”

“What do you mean?” Link feigned ignorance; he didn’t need her to worry. He had a feeling she would see through him if he played coy or not anyways; that girl was far too observant of his mannerisms.

“You’re not putting any weight on it. Usually you’re shifting and fidgeting around more than this, knucklehead.” Her words might have been playful, but her tone was serious.

Link sighed dramatically; she wasn’t going to let this go anytime soon. “It’s nothing, really. I just fell on it weird during the tremors and now it hurts to stand on. Not a single thing to worry about.”

“It could be broken, Link,” she said, voice rising in exasperation. She ushered him towards a bench on the outskirts of the central square. He obliged, knowing that this was not a battle worth fighting. Sitting down on the bench, he watched as his friend knelt down to check his ankle. She gently untied and removed his boot, placing it next to the leg of the bench. Looking up at him from the ground, she pressed two fingers against the bone above his now swollen ankle. “Can you feel this, and if so, does this hurt?”

“I can feel it fine, and it doesn’t hurt. See? Nothing to fuss ab-ow-t!” he yelled out in pain as she pinched the soft part of his ankle. Zelda raised his eyebrows at him, her best I-told-you-so face on display.

“It’s sprained, and it’s also swollen because you chose to walk on it anyways,” Zelda scolded him, plopping his boot in his lap as she rose to sit beside him. “You could probably help it along with a potion.”

“I only have one left though. I’ll fix it up once I visit Skyloft again,” he shrugged, not wanting to be without a single health potion. What if he were actually injured, seriously injured?

“Nonsense! You should just take it now and go pick up another one back home,” she reasoned, nodding her head in agreement with her own words. “You shouldn’t walk or fly on that ankle, or you really will break it.”

“Listen, if it will make you feel better, I’ll do just that. It’s not that your idea is better than mine, I’m just trying to save your feelings,” he teased her, taking his last potion out of his bag and downing it in one gulp. Pleasant warmth filled his body, and the pain in this leg slowly melted away. ‘She’s right, as per usual,’ Link thought with a smile, though he wouldn’t dare say it out loud. She already fussed over him enough; she didn’t need any further justification for it. “Well, off to Skyloft I go.”

“How kind of you, I’ll await your return with bated breath,” Zelda laughed, standing to take a deep bow. He was laughing along with her until the bow; something about it put him off, but the reason why escaped him like wisps of smoke running through his fingers. Regardless, he waved goodbye to his best friend and ran off to a landing platform, calling his bird. He could feel his crimson loftwing circling closer and closer to the ground until finally it landed in front of him, spreading out its wings and cawing loudly. He patted his bird on its neck before jumping up into the saddle, strapping himself in, and setting off towards Skyloft. He didn’t get very far, though. Just as they were gaining altitude, Link swore he saw a flash of red just along the tree line surrounding their town. He instinctively tugged back on the reins, sharply turning his bird around, to which his bird responded by jutting its head forwards and tugging back on the reins. He stroked the loftwing on the base of his neck apologetically. “Sorry, bud. Just take us back down, okay?”

He didn’t bother steering back to the landing platform. His bird wouldn’t die if it touched soil, and those wooden platforms were really just there to keep people from landing in the town square and possibly on top of unsuspecting individuals. The second his loftwing’s feet touched grass, Link was dismounting; he practically vaulted off the bird. Scanning the forest for any sign of nearby monsters, he was frustrated to once again find nothing. In fact, all was eerily quiet and uneventful. Not a bird was singing; there wasn’t even a breeze to rustle the leaves in the trees. He knew he couldn’t be imagining things; this was the same spot as the flickering light that he had seen earlier, wasn’t it? Walking into the forest, he watched the grass carefully for any tracks, fibers, or really anything that would imply he wasn’t losing his mind. He listened closely for any sound that might reveal another presence in these woods.

“Who’s there?” he called out into the forest, partially to break the silence and also just in case another knight had been out here and he had simply mistaken them for a monster. Of course, there were no knights on the surface that wore bright red uniforms, so he really, really hoped that he would not get a response. He knew what he was afraid of. It lurked in the back of his mind every time he saw an unfamiliar shape move about in the surface. Link tried to push it away, but soon his vision was flooded with the image of Demise doubled over, glaring at him with the rage of a thousand battles. He saw that wicked sword fading into deep purple dust and disappearing into thin air. Link pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes. That sword was long gone, and the heinous spirit that lived within it was gone too. There was nothing out here that could hurt him… but if that were really the case, why was he out here peering into the forest, heart nearly beating out of his chest? No one ever responded to him, but as he walked back to his bird, Link swore he could hear footsteps treading further into the woods.

Placing a hand on the saddle of his loftwing, Link felt his grip tighten immeasurably around the worn leather. His knuckles turned white, and he stared over his bird into nothingness. Had those faint steps sounded familiar? Well, that settles that; he had lost his mind. He was hearing and seeing things. He leaned in, speaking to his bird in a voice that was barely audible even to him, “I need to clear my head. This is all just some strange nightmare, except I’m awake and have taken leave of my senses. Thankfully, I have an idea of just what might get my head straightened out.”

* * *

“No, I am sorry Link; I know nothing about these recent earthquakes that you have been experiencing. All has been quiet here,” Lanayru responded, scratching his chin. Link had promptly set off for the desert, partially seeking the thunder dragon’s wisdom on their recent dilemma. The other part of him, however, was seeking a particular form of training unique to this province. He needed a good battle to boost his confidence and work out all of his tension, and Lanayru was just the dragon to see for that.

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Link said, shaking his head in disappointment, “I suppose I’ll fly all the way back home then.”

“Indeed.” He agreed, before his demeanor lit up, and he changed the subject. “Well, so long as you are here, you should take some time to try out the battle gauntlet again. You have to keep those skills sharp if you are going to take out a monster capable of shaking all of Faron! What say you?”

“You know me too well,” Link chuckled, his heart rate picking up in anticipation. Soon, he’d be back to normal, and he’d have forgotten all about those shifting shapes and colors he kept seeing in the woods. “Surprise me?”

“Fantastic! I know I’ve told you before, but do bear in mind, if you lose, it’s all over,” the thunder dragon’s voice boomed over the open desert; he was clearly eager to begin the game, “You won’t be going home in one piece! Now open your mind to me, and let us begin.”

As he closed his eyes, the ground beneath him seemed to bend and shift as if he were standing on jelly. A smirk ghosted his face, as he wondered what he would face first, what he would beat first. Suddenly, solid ground reappeared beneath him, and he knew it was time to open his eyes. Link was met with a bright gold room with impossibly tall marble pillars stretching towards the ceiling. Koloktos it was then. He pulled his whip from his pockets and commenced dispatching the automaton. Tearing its arms from its metal chassis, he jeered at the machine. “Just like clockwork!”

The battle was over within mere minutes. It didn’t surprise him, as he had faced this fight many times before and truth be told, it was one of his personal favorites. An excited laugh bubbled out from his chest, and Link faced his next enemy. The room he was met with was dark but eerily familiar; a tall, lithe figure stood in the center of the arena, staring him down. He went silent; his jaw locked in place. He knew this arena. He knew this fight as well as any other, but his carefree confidence fell away like a discarded chrysalis, replaced by deadly focus. He gripped his sword tighter, as he prepared himself to face the all too familiar demon lord once more.

“Well, well, well if it isn’t my little sky child. My, you have grown over the past, what was it? Three years? How have you been?” The illusion spoke to him, but it wasn’t right. Its voice was distorted like a broken instrument; it made Link’s hair stand on end. The jarring voice didn’t pause to let him respond. “I myself have been insufferably bored, you know, since you murdered me.”

“That’s…! That’s not right,” he exclaimed; this fight was the same every single time he relived it and never once did this illusion, this recreation, speak to him. What was going on? His breath caught in his throat, as if he were trying to breathe underwater. The figure stalked towards him. His mind knew that he had to fight; this was no dream, and losing a battle here was deadly. However, his body refused to respond; he was paralyzed with… fear? Confusion? It was with him again, that tense, twisted feeling that pried at his being every time he was confronted with the possibility that maybe, just maybe he hadn’t slain that self-proclaimed demon lord. His thoughts raced, but before he was harmed a horrible screeching sound filled his ears; it was like nails on a chalkboard but far, far louder. He doubled over in pain, grasping at his ears to block out the offending noise. Link’s vision went white, and when he opened his eyes again, he was lying on the ground in lanayru desert once more. His chest heaved and his lungs burned; he drank in the air greedily.

“I am so sorry Link, something went awry during the gauntlet,” Lanayru’s voice rumbled above him; the dragon shook his head in disbelief.

“Did it?” he yelled, sarcastically, running a hand through his sandy blond hair. “What _was_ that?”

“To tell you the truth, I do not know. Your memories became very, very unstable. They have gotten skittish before, but never have they created such a kerfuffle. I had to stop the fight, or you likely would have found yourself, well…” the dragon trailed off, before pivoting the conversation away from the implication of a loss in the gauntlet, “It was the strangest thing, once you began your battle with that Ghirahim fellow, your memories began to distort, it was like an eruption of foul energy.”

Link was quiet for a while, not really listening to the thunder dragon. A sinking feeling was settling in the pit of his stomach, something to keep the twisting feeling company he supposed. This had not gone to plan; if anything he felt far worse now. As his focus returned to the present conversation, a particular string of words caught his attention. “Wait, what did you just say?”

“An eruption of foul energy?” Lanayru repeated, tilting his head to the side inquisitively.

“That’s the ticket!” Link shouted, the revelation having dawned upon him like the first rays of sunlight on a cloudy day. Everything seemed so clear to him now. Well, not what may or may not have caused his memories to go awry, but rather the cause of the earthquakes! “The volcano… I have to go!”

Link took off without another word, breaking out into a sprint and whistling to call to his loftwing. His bird must have sensed his explosive energy, because it nosedived right at him only pulling up at the last moment to land. He jumped onto the bird, urging it to take off, but Juno was already springing into the air. The ground melted away below them as the sky enveloped them in its sweet, cool embrace. He guided his bird towards the volcano in the far north; his vigor would be worth nothing if they were headed in the wrong direction. Patting the downy feathers on his bird’s powerful wings, he spoke softly to the loftwing, “Everything’s going to be alright.”

As they approached Eldin, he found his gaze drifting past the volcano. Thick clouds obscured his vision, but he wondered what was past the land that they had carved out for themselves. There could be anything out there, lurking or otherwise causing trouble. There could be a monster capable of causing such heavy tremors toddling around out there, or it could be the volcano just waiting to erupt and melt them all to goo. The second Link’s boots touched the parched soil outside of the earth temple, heat was biting at his face and a cough wracked his chest from the dryness of the air. Was it wrong that he was hoping that the volcano was about to spew lava and molten wind all over this region? Almost certainly. A heavy sigh squirmed its way out of his throat; he pursed his lips and found his eyes once more drifting towards the land beyond Eldin. They flicked back to the volcano; it looked as dormant as ever. Nevertheless, he began to trudge his way towards the summit.

He didn’t get very far. A quake unlike any other rocked and launched the ground beneath his feet. The ground heaved and shuddered like laughter. Link’s feet slid out from under him, toppling him towards a nearby cliff. He kicked out towards it, propelling himself backwards and right onto his backside. He clung to the ground long after it stood still once more; his heart was in his throat. ‘You know,’ he thought, smoothing down the hair on the back of his neck with sore fingers, ‘It might not be safe to walk around here right now.’

He was about to call for his bird when he heard it again. The gentle pat, pat, pat of footsteps were clear as day against the solid ground just beyond the rock wall behind him. He knew they were footsteps, and this time there were no trees to hide behind, and he also knew that a wall of mountains blocked them in that way. Without a second thought, he launched himself off of the ground, sprinting towards the noise. His legs ached at the effort he put into pursuing the fleeting noise. He felt frustration bubble in his chest, as he turned the corner leading to the wall of mountain he was familiar with to instead find a small cavern. Granted, he didn’t know this was here before, but he couldn’t believe he lost whatever, or rather whoever he was chasing after again. His fiery anger died down to a simmer as he inspected the cavern entrance closer. It was jagged, as if it had just been broken open. Had the quakes done this? It seemed far too messy and broken up to have been dug out and it surely wasn’t here the last time he was around. His eyes narrowed, whoever he was chasing must have gone in there.

Link practically stomped into the cave, his steps reverberating through the crevice. He stopped, yelling ‘echo’ out just to hear it bounce down the expanse of darkness; he smiled to himself despite his growing irritation. The crevice was definitely new; it smelled of upturned earth and wet stone. Just as the opening had started to disappear behind him, the path split into two directions. He stared down each of them, waiting, listening for any sign of life beyond his own shallow breathing. All was quiet. He lifted an arm in the hair, one finger extended towards the ceiling. He could feel the breeze from behind him, but a subtle shift in the air from his right indicated that it opened back up that way.

And open it did, a gust of acrid air burned his throat as he ventured down the right path. The cave opened up to a vast expanse of charred grass and burnt trees. Ash littered the ground, staining his boots with dusty soot. It was almost unbearably hot, but his sacred earrings protected him from the scorching air. He looked up, the clouds above were dark and dim, and far in the distance he spotted a second, far smaller volcano. It was bright orange with lava spilling down its sides like an overflowing glass. A spire stuck out of it, it was a radiant blue beacon among a sea of brown, red, and orange. He turned to look back, mountains towered over him. His instincts told him to turn right back around; he wasn’t a hero anymore, and he did not have to venture toward that spire. Yet, something pulled at him, urging him to walk into the unknown. It settled in his chest just beside his heart, whispering to him that what he was looking for was waiting for him in the tower.

Link shook his head, mumbling curses under his breath. Normally, he would send Juno back with a note calling for reinforcements, but his whistle was met with more silence. His bird wouldn’t or more likely couldn’t follow him here. Instead, he rifled through his bag and scribbled out a note explaining where he had gone. He set it under a stone near the entrance of the cavern. It was better than nothing. His rational mind begged him to turn around and at least tell Zelda where he was going even as his feet walked into the charred forest. He looked back, knowing that she would never let him do this alone and might even insist on going with him. He didn’t have the time to go back if this volcano was about to erupt again, nor did he have the time to talk her out of going. He didn’t believe he could anyhow; despite her best intentions, Zelda didn’t seem to listen to him nowadays. So he set off, intent on not looking back again.

From the ache in his feet, he was sure it had taken him hours to get to where he was. Link could no longer see the cave he had entered from, though he could still see the mountains, cradling his home within and walling it off from this strange, volatile land. The spire on the other hand, did not appear to be getting closer as quickly as he had thought it would when he set out. It was easier to spot and appeared larger, so he must have been making headway, but it was quite a hike. He wasn’t used to walking for hours on end with nothing but his wandering mind and footsteps to keep him company. It was unsettling how lifeless this forest was. Although, it was more disturbing to think that there was life here, hiding amongst the grey-brown landscape, watching him. Link was getting tired. His feet had started to drag, leaving little trails of upturned ash behind him. He knew he should rest, but he also knew that stopping would only serve to prolong his trip to the spire and possibly put him in danger should that volcano erupt- not that just being here didn’t do that already. He should have brought water. His knees seemed to decide for him that it was time to sit down, as they buckled and he fell unto them, staining his pants now with the soft soot. Well, at least he would be able to catch his breath now. Well, that was what he thought.

The ground rumbled lowly; Link knew what was about to happen, but he certainly wasn’t ready for the extent of it. Within moments the earth beneath him split in two, rumble morphing into an echoing roar. He tried to run, grasping at tufts of grass and soil, but it was to no avail. He was frantic, his mind and limbs on fire, but all of his efforts were futile. The ground might as well have been water, as it slipped through his fingers in shallow streams and sealed his fate. Link fell into the depths of the fissure, plummeting into darkness.


	3. Into Darkness

Time passed. Link didn’t know how much, but even as he faded in and out of consciousness he could feel it ticking away.

Drop,

Drop,

Drop, a gentle dripping whispered in his ears every time he came to, only to be lulled back into a cold sleep by its rhythmic thrumming. On the odd occasion that he was able to will his eyes to open, he was met with a vast darkness. He swore he saw shapes moving about near him, but his focus inevitably left him before he could see what was lurking in those shadows.

* * *

Link slashed wildly, his heart pounding in his chest as if any moment it would burst through his skin. His hands, hugged tight by leather gloves, were slick with sweat and burned with the effort of pulling back on his blade. This, of course, only made his situation worse. His foe, this demon lord, Ghirahim, caught his blade and wrenched it from his grasp. His deep blue eyes widened in shock, and he pulled his shield close like a security blanket. What in the goddess' name was he going to do now?

“Such a valuable sword, you wouldn’t mind if I kept it, would you?” he purred, advancing on the skyloftain, grinning like the remlit that ate the canary. Link’s eyes darted around, fear burning in his veins; he searched for anything he could defend himself with. The room offered no such protection, unless he planned to fight with shards of broken pottery or the odd rock. Perhaps he could try to beat the demon to death with his shield? He glared at the demon lord with malice, hoping his anger would hide his growing fear. A rich, sinister laugh rippled through his adversary’s chest and shook his upper body, “Now, now don’t make a fuss. Since I’m feeling lenient today, I’ll return it to you… Catch!”

Cold steel whizzed past his ear as the demon lord threw his own blade back at him. Link barely dipped out of the way; there was a short ripping noise as it passed by. He ran to retrieve his weapon only to find a tuft of his sandy blond hair caught on the blade. He removed it with shaky hands, his jaw tensing immeasurably. The rest of the fight followed in the same style, Link would become unstable and wild in his motions and nearly find himself on the end of a blade. He could hardly help it; this demon seemed to pull a burning, reckless anger out of him with an unsettling amount of ease. He would be calmed by the close calls only to fall for another taunt, another game. He had always heard that a proper sword fight was like a dance. If this was a dance, he had two left feet and a blindfold, while his opponent spun circles around him. After what felt like ages, it was over, as a fortunate strike knocked the demon back.

“Well… you put up more of a fight than I would have thought-” he bloviated on, and Link tuned him out. This was not so much as an act of rebellion, but rather as a result of the overwhelming weariness that was coursing through his body. His mind had slowed, and he had begun to feel like a thick, sticky slime was pulling at his thoughts. His train of thought was slogging through a swamp, so instead he focused his attention on appearing- well, attentive. He knew very little about this demon, but he didn’t need Fi to tell him that letting his weakness show was a poor decision. This stranger had already shown himself to be an unnerving brand of threatening, and he didn’t want to provoke him into attacking once more, especially not with greater purpose than to toy with him.

“Hmph, troublesome boy, you certainly have a knack for traipsing right into the most unfortunate of situations,” he cooed, tilting his head to the side with a leering look. Link held his dark gaze with a defiant glare, his blue eyes cold and unwavering. Despite his fatigue, he knew he didn’t like that look one bit. Even after the demon lord teleported away, that gaze still lingered on his skin like a coating of hot wax. Something seemed off though, it was as if Link had known what was going to happen but instead his path veered somewhere else, somewhere unfamiliar. Why was it that he heard those quiet words as if they were right in his ear, even though Ghirahim had been all the way across the room? He swore he could feel hands on him even though he was alone; he felt a sharp stinging pain course through his left arm. What the hell was happening to him? Gushing gold in the form of adrenaline pumped into his veins, whether it was from anger or fear, he didn’t know and didn’t care. The blessed feeling was enough to wake him up from his exhaustion.

* * *

Drip

Drip,

Drip, he lifted his head sluggishly but with purpose. His body ached relentlessly; his limbs begged him to sleep once more. Even as his dreams flitted away into nothingness like the shadows he saw before, that haunting voice stayed with him, urging him to look around. He had to be sure he was alone; he needed to know. Link tried to push himself up, only to fall back down with a gut wrenching cry; his left shoulder shot explosive waves of pain through his body, which were only exacerbated by him falling back down onto it. He clutched his arm, curling in on himself and gritting his teeth so hard he worried they might shatter. He used his right arm, which was sore but hardly to the extent of the left, to pull himself up off the ground. Peeling his tunic away from his shoulder, he was horrified to find deep purple bruises littering his skin. The strange thing was that it looked horrible, but he could move his arm at every joint, though it was excruciating to do so. That kind of bruising and pain, it warranted a dislocation at best, but his shoulder appeared to be in place and functioning. There was a sour taste in his mouth. 

Link’s gaze flitted across the room around him; it was empty. Link was surprised to see murals and torn tapestries hanging on the walls around him. He wasn’t in some cavern deep under the earth but rather some sort of bunker or temple. He looked up. He couldn’t see the sky through the wide crevice hanging above his head; there was barely a sliver of light shining down from it. His head ached, as he strained his eyes to see just how far down he was. Link raised a hand to hold his head only to be met with a new stinging pain. His skin was wet. He pulled his hand away to see a coating of red liquid on his fingers. Grumbling in frustration, he reached into his adventure pouch for a health potion only to find an empty bottle. He groaned, cursing himself for drinking it on a sprained ankle and cursing himself for traveling out here unprepared.

His eyes wandered down. His sailcloth lay beside him, stained with blood and slightly torn. It was probably the only thing that saved him from becoming a stain on the ground himself. He looked at its pitiful state with sadness, picking it up and gingerly placing it back into his adventure pouch. When he saw Zelda again, he would have to ask her to fix it. If he saw her again, that is. He had no clue where he was or what horrors were crawling through the corridors that stretched out before him. ‘Might as well find out,’ he thought to himself with a frown.

Cradling his injured arm against his body, Link pushed himself to his feet. His legs wobbled, and it was by the grace of the goddess herself that he didn’t fall back onto the ground. His gaze flicked between the long hallways before settling on the one that had torches mounted on the wall. They weren’t lit, but he could change that. Stepping carefully over rubble and fallen debris, he made his way to the wall sconces. Tall dry grass peaked out from cracks in the floor; he pulled it out in tufts and balled it up along the top of one of the torches. He took a small stone out of his adventure pouch and struck it against the hardy metal of his mogma mitts. With every strike his shoulder burned, but eventually with a quick hiss the torch lit. The fire bloomed out and played along the walls; morphing and swimming shapes flowed across the murals and made his head spin. He was woozy, but at least he could see. He began his slow walk down the corridor, lighting each sconce along the way- well, each one that wasn’t lying in a broken heap on the floor. He couldn’t risk doubling back on himself, even if this did leave him open to being followed.

“What have I done,” he grumbled under his breath, if anything just to hear a noise beyond his footsteps patting heavily against the floor. From deep in his chest he released some mix between a sigh and a growl; he should never have come here alone- scratch that, he probably shouldn’t have come here, period. If he managed to get out alive it would be for naught, because Zelda would beat the life out of him for doing this. His grim thoughts were interrupted as he nearly walked into a door, a large metal door to be exact. He had to use both hands to push it open, and he considered himself very lucky to find it unlocked. Upon looking into the following room, his breath caught in his throat. He choked on the foul air that gushed out towards him; the smell was acrid and metallic.

Before him were rows upon rows of cells that stretched out so far that the end of the room was swallowed by darkness. Between each cell were enormous stone pillars that stretched up to the ceiling, or at least the ones that were intact did. He stepped forward, looking past each set of metal bars as he passed by. Most of the cells were in shambles. One in particular had an enormous pillar crushing the door and whatever had been inside it. He had to pry his eyes away from what he thought was a hand poking out from under the marble. This place was old, but it appeared that the wreckage was recent. Each quiet step sent chills up his spine, and he froze wondering if anything alive was down here with him. Every cell he had passed so far was empty, except for one. At the very end, just before he was met with another metal door like the one that had led him into this dungeon, there was a closed cell door.

Link peered beyond the bars, taking one cautious step forward after another. He could see a pedestal for a sword, but buried within the stone was a simple silver dagger. It looked almost comical in how puny the blade was compared to the base beneath it. He quirked an eyebrow and placed a hand tentatively on the door. Pulling on the bars, the door rattled but did not open. It was locked, and looking around he didn’t see a handy set of silver keys hanging on the wall, lying on the floor, or hidden nearby in an ornate chest. There was nothing. Link shrugged his shoulders; he probably shouldn’t be messing with the strange dagger anyways.

Walking through the next metal door, he rolled his eyes at another long, dark corridor. His ears had begun to ring, and he was starting to wonder if this strange underground dungeon even had an exit. Right, left, right, he tried to keep going in one direction as the hallways split into branching paths in the hopes of finding something, anything of interest, but his luck must have long since run out. He sighed, looking down at the ground. He kicked a pebble just to hear it clatter down the hallway, only to quickly turn around, wondering if anything could hear him down here. As if on cue, he heard something skittering around down the hall, just beyond the glow of his torch. He picked up the pace only to find a really, really big, grotesque rat staring at him with its bulging red eyes. It blinked at him, seemingly one eye at a time, before it turned and began to shamble down the hall. He had to bite his tongue to stop the ‘ew’ that nearly slipped past his lips. It was moving away from him, but it was in no way rushing. Perhaps this could be exactly what he was looking for. Link took a step forward, deciding to follow the vermin at a distance. It was clearly eating something, so it must know a way out. He scrambled to keep the rat in sight and light the torches along the wall in case this brilliant idea didn’t pan out. His stomach grumbled; as in insane as this plan was, it had really better work.

It felt like hours passed, as he followed the scruffy rat through the maze-like corridors. He wondered if they were walking in circles, and if he was doomed to die in here, following around a rat like a lunatic. Before he could linger on those dark thoughts, he reached salvation. The rat stopped in front of two enormous doors that were not entirely unlike the boss room doors he had seen on his last adventure. He could see light shining through the cracks in around the doors, and his heart began to race. The rat turned and looked right at him, bruxing its teeth and boggling its eyes. It almost looked like it was laughing. It ran into a nearby hole in the wall, leaving him alone with the door. Link had the sudden urge to shout ‘thank you,’ but decided against it, no need to cement his insanity any further. Looking around he noticed three large statues surrounding the door. One was a rat that vaguely resembled the creepy vermin that had led him here, another was a huge lizard with wings and thousands of sharp pointy teeth, and the final one was a humanoid figure, though its spindly arms and legs appeared much too long for its body. Below each statue was an arching hole and inside was a stone cup. Above the hole was an inscription.

Link crouched down, pulling his torch close to the inscription below the rat statue. It read, ‘the rat says: The dragon always speaks the truth, but from the demon’s mouth comes lies.’

So the statues were of rats, dragons, and demons. They certainly didn’t look any he had seen before. He read the dragon’s plaque, ‘the dragon says: The rat and the demon both have submitted to the darkness.’

He groaned out loud; a riddle, this was going to be a riddle. He hated riddles with a fiery passion. If only Zelda were here, she loved this logic puzzle nonsense. With a huff, Link read the final inscription, ‘the demon says: The dragon spreads only lies, and so too does the rat.’

He looked up quizzically, so what was he supposed to do? Peering around the room, Link noticed that there were tiny etchings on the door as well. He walked over tentatively; they read, ‘spill pure blood to the one who walks in the light, and these doors will yield to you.’

“Lovely,” he sighed, pulling his blade from the sheath on his back. He wished that handy little inscription said how much blood, and he really wished it explained what it meant by pure. Honestly, so long as he was wishing for things, it would be nice if it had the answer written below it in upside down text. He pursed his lips, looking at the dragon and its gaping maw and angry eyes. “You’ve got a liar looking face.”

“The rat says you’re telling the truth, but you say the rat is lying.” Hmm, that didn’t seem quite right. Link’s eyes widened; he had not just stumbled upon the answer because he thought the dragon looked like a liar, had he? Was it really that easy? According to the demon, both of them were taken by darkness, so either both of them were telling the truth or neither of them were. Besides, the door implied there was only one statue that was telling the truth, not two. A grin split across his face; he was in fact going to make it out of here, and when he did, he would have one hell of a story to rub in Zelda’s face. “Looks like someone is better at riddles than you thought!”

Leaning down beside the demon’s cup, he gently slid his blade along the palm of his hand. He made a fist above the stone cup, letting the red liquid drip into it. It only took a drop; he heard a hefty clicking noise behind him that he assumed were the doors unlocking. Creepy, but at least he found a way out. With a big grin and a literal pat on his back, Link made his way to the double doors and pushed them open. However, he found himself horrified at what waited for him on the other side: stairs.

“Oh, come on!” he shouted; the spiral staircase seemed to stretch up forever, but at least there was what appeared to be sunlight filtering down from the top. He groaned and looked back at the doors. Something unnerving caught his eye. Scrawled on the wall beside the doors was a message; it appeared to be written in blood, ‘Monsters inside, keep out!’ Well, that wasn’t the slightest bit useful to him now. Regardless, he hadn’t seen any monsters down there, nor did anything surge outwards from the door the moment he opened it. He wondered how likely it was that the fissure he had fallen down wasn’t the only one and whatever had been down there had since escaped. If that was the case, then the earthquakes may have released an ungodly amount of monsters into the surface, which could not be good news for their town or his unsuspecting friends. Link’s heart began to race; he had to get out of here and warn everyone.

As he began to climb the stairs, a sharp, earsplitting cry ripped through the small room. Link spun around, brandishing his weapon. His shield arm screamed with pain just from holding it up, which did not spark confidence in his ability to fight what he was met with. An enormous, scaly mass stared back at him; its fiery eyes regarded him with severe anger. It charged with surprising speed, launching itself towards the stairs. ‘Now,’ Link thought frantically, stumbling backwards, ‘Would be a very good time to run!’

Link wasn’t sure that he had ever climbed stairs faster in his life. His feet seemed to work against him, stumbling and tripping as he tried to escape. Thankfully, the staircase was a bit small for the enormous beast behind him; he could hear its feet slipping on the uncovered sides of the stairs, preventing it from picking up speed and gaining on him. On one hand, he was glad for the lack of a guard rail, but on the other, every slip of his own feet had him picturing himself falling all the way back down and splattering on the stone floor. His breath escaped him in ragged breaths as he reached the top of the staircase. He didn’t even pause to see where he was going; he just sprinted down the nearest hall, taking turns at random and praying for the best. Without the stairs to encumber it, the monster behind him was closing the distance between them. The turns gave Link a bit of wiggle room, but things were not looking good.

Then he heard it again: footsteps. Without hesitation- without really thinking about what he was doing at all, he ran towards them. As he turned the nearest corner, he heard a sharp clicking noise that stood out from the thundering footfalls of the monster pursuing him. It was another dead end. He was about to chastise himself for hearing things once more and blindly following those imaginary noises right to his death, when he saw something dissipating into thin air. It looked like dust at first, but no, he knew what they were: diamonds, very familiar diamonds. He didn’t have time to fully process that though, as his scaly friend was getting very close. He couldn’t turn back, so he would have to fight or find a way out of this hall. The wall in the hallway had caved in, as a huge marble pillar crashed through the side and blocked off the rest of the passage, save a small opening underneath and just above the pillar. An idea hit him, and he found himself scrambling to claw his way under the column. He grasped and clawed at the ground wildly, trying desperately to squeeze his way under the rubble. His shoulder screamed at his efforts, but he couldn’t afford to relent; those pounding footsteps were getting louder and louder. He heard jaws snap just behind him, as he yanked himself the rest of the way through the opening. Link tumbled forwards before spinning around, praying that the beast could not follow him through. It roared at him and clawed at the rubble with one arm, trying to grab him through the gap with the other.

Link stabbed wildly at the drake’s scaly feet that were reaching through the gaps in the crumbled pillar. The monster roared in pain, jerking back behind the makeshift wall. Stepping back, it tried to blast through the wall with its fiery breath or otherwise just kill him outright, but his shield kept him safe from the tongues of fire that billowed towards him. The force of protecting himself sent hot, singing pain up his injured shoulder. He grit his teeth and braced the shield with his right hand. The creature eyed him with a blistering rage, clearly infuriated that he wasn’t burned to a crisp and that the pillar protecting him was still standing. Letting out a thunderous roar, it lunged at the pillar, its thick, impossibly sharp claws tearing at the marble with more fervor than before. Fortunately for him the beast’s blind anger had left it exposed. Link thrust his sword into its chest from behind the wall, and it released a deafening screech before bursting into a cloud of smoke.

All was silent for a moment, before Link became aware of his own heavy panting echoing throughout the newly empty halls. His hair was matted to his forehead with sweat and blood, and he swore there was fire coursing through his veins. He may not have defeated that monster in the most heroic or dignified of ways, but at least he was alive. His arm throbbed unbearably and he felt as if he might pass out, but he was alive nonetheless. He was just beginning to relax and regain his composure when his calm was utterly shattered by a soft, rich laugh resonating behind him. He knew that laugh anywhere, and oh, did it freeze him to his very core. He hoped he had imagined it; that he had indeed passed out after his fight with that overgrown lizard. Link even considered the notion that he was hearing things and perhaps there was a chance that he would turn around a nothing would be there. How long had he been telling himself that? He could keep it up for one more day, one more second. Unfortunately, the words that followed crushed that notion.

“ _Bravo_ ,” the familiar voice called to him, accentuated by a slow, sarcastic clap. Link’s jaw tensed painfully, as he prepared to turn and face a reality that he had really hoped was nothing more than a nightmare. “Your swordsmanship is truly something to be admired. I myself loved the part where you hid like a sniveling child behind a marble column, jabbing at the beast before jumping back to cower away from it.”

“Ghirahim.” Link turned, his steely gaze narrowed as it met cold, brown eyes. He never could have braced himself for this moment, and nothing really would have prepared him for how downtrodden and tired the demon lord looked anyways. He held his head high and arrogance danced in his gaze, but his posture betrayed him. He was leaning against the wall where the hall split into separate paths, his shoulders rounded and his normally flawless appearance was ruffled, disheveled. Familiar purple rings were blooming out under his eyes; if demons needed sleep, he looked as if he needed a century of catch up to make those go away. Link furrowed his brow, “You’ve looked better.”

“Do not mock me, boy! I’ll have you know, I have suffered a very trying day, and I would not hesitate to take it out on you and your plush, fragile skin,” Ghirahim hissed, fury seeping into his voice; there he was, the adversary Link knew from three years ago. Much to Link's surprise though, the demon lord paused and closed his eyes, taking a breath and visibly regaining his composure. “Now with that in mind, you and I, we have some catching up to do.”


End file.
